The Knight's Tale Love Analysis

Love, according to Webster, is “a strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.”. For some, this definition of love expresses the way people develop a mutual understanding of one another to attain a level many are unable to reach. Others may believe love can happen by the chance of a glimpse and bind them together by that unknown force without any preceding knowledge of the person. In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the “Knight's Tale” shows that love is greater than any other power. Chaucer composed the tale to convey the idea that love brings about unforeseen outcomes. In doing this, an argument arises about the concept that love conquers all. There are many different interpretations regarding love, but not …show more content…
Immediately after meeting her, Palamon eagerly exclaims his willingness to serve for her and later prays to Venus, the goddess of love, for a chance to be free and see Emilie. Although Venus acquiesced to Palamon’s request, his freedom from jail still leaves him unsatisfied. Palamon searches for Emilie to profess his love and finds Arcite, who challenges Palamon to fight for the love of Emilie. Theseus came and found them both and asked why they were fighting. He told them both in 1 year to come back with100 of their best men and to joust for the girl. The night before the Joust, both Palamon and Arcite pray to a divinity. Palamon prays to Venus, pleading for the privilege of Emilie’s hand in marriage and vows to serve her for as long as he lives if he is given the chance. Arcite, however, prays to Mars, the god of war, and beseeches the god for victory in battle. Unfortunately, in Arcites’ haste, he fails to mention the point of the battle: Emilie’s love. Reluctantly, Emilie prays to the goddess of chastity, Diana, about her fate. Although she wishes to remain free, if the fate of Emilie is marriage, she requests that the man who loves her most be the man who she marries. All got what they wished for, but only two had asked for love and that is what was given. This is a representation of love conquering all, and that even a simple …show more content…
( Theseus in the story had realized by the end that not even he could overcome the power that love presented. In it’s own cruel way, love demonstrates itself as a powerful force over humanity to Theseus after he understands the knights’ willingness to sacrifice. Chaucer purposefully constructed the tale this way by showcasing both the wrongs and rights of handling love. He had showed the definition of love in his work, even if society may not have seen it as true love. Love and only love can overcome everything and it is evident in all of